While contemplating this Painting by Fr Thamburaj let us recall the story of the ten lepers: It happened when the lepers met Jesus but stayed at a distance because those days the law said a leper must not come near and must call out "Unclean!" so people would avoid even looking at them. These men called out, "Jesus, have mercy on us!" They knew he had healed others. Jesus told them to go and show themselves to the priests, and as they were going, their skin became clear and free from leprosy! But only one of them turned and came back to Jesus. He fell at Jesus' feet and thanked him profusely. Jesus inquired where the other nine were, were they all OK?" Ten were healed, of course, but only one came back to say "Thank you"...Sometimes we don't even think about all the good things that God gives us. We don't even realize everything that God has given us . We don't realize how precious health is until we get sick. There is always something we can thank God for.And God makes everything turn out for the good for those who love him. He likes to be thanked just like we do when we do something special for someone. ....There is another good point to remember: see the following note about feeling worthy of God's gifts: http://www.dailyom.com/articles/2007/7332.html :-"March 9, 2007: Shifting into Gratitude : The Question of Worthiness .We all know what it's like to finally get something we want, only to find ourselves feeling as if we don't deserve it. Whether it's a car, a new job, or a date with someone wonderful, we suddenly feel as if we are not up to it. Something in us wants to reject this gift from the universe, perhaps because it requires that we think of ourselves in a new way or makes us question why we should have something that others don't have. If these feelings of unworthiness are not consciously acknowledged, they can lead us to sabotage ourselves out of the gift being offered. Perhaps the best way to avoid rejection and sabotage is to simply shift into a state of gratitude, bypassing the question of worthiness altogether.The question of whether we or anyone else deserves something is not really in our jurisdiction. These themes play themselves out in ways we can't fully comprehend-on the level of the soul, over the course of many lifetimes. What we do know is that the universe has its own way of shifting the balance over the course of time so that all things are ultimately fair. We can trust in this process and understand that when a gift comes our way, it is because we are meant to have it. Otherwise, it would not be available to us. Accepting the gift with gratitude and using it to the best of our ability is true humility.When we receive a gift and find that feelings of unworthiness crop up, we can simply acknowledge the feelings and then remind ourselves that they are beside the point. We might say to ourselves, "I am meant to have this." As we allow ourselves to accept the gift, we might feel tenderness in our hearts that naturally shifts into a deep feeling of gratitude. As we sit for a moment, consciously holding the gift in our hands or in our hearts, we say "yes" to the universe's many blessings, and we also say "thank you.""
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